The Horse in the Gate

In a God-directed world, you're never stuck.

I used to empathize with the horse in the gate. The only way for a car to exit the walled Old City of Jerusalem, where I live, is through Zion Gate. Like all authentic ancient gates, Zion Gate is a massive L-shaped stone structure. My 21st century car has a hard time maneuvering through the 16th century gate, especially when it is thronged with tourists. My car, however, has it easy compared with the horses of yore trying to invade the city.

A hole in the ceiling of the gate was used to pour boiling oil down on the invading horsemen. If the horse slowed down to make the L-turn, the horseman would be fried by the boiling oil and the horse would slip and fall. If it galloped fast to avoid the oil, it would smash into the stone wall. It was doomed if it did and doomed if it didn't.

The horse was doomed if it did and doomed if it didn't.

I often feel like the horse in the gate. No-win situations abound in my life and, I suspect, yours. The morning when you have an important meeting at work with a visiting V.I.P., your child takes sick and needs you at home. Just when you've blown your budget paying for holiday expenses, your washing machine breaks down and needs an expensive repair. Rushing to an interview for a new job, late because you couldn't find a parking space, a woman in a wheelchair asks for your help. Your spouse splurges on two tickets to a concert to celebrate your birthday and, just as you're leaving, your mother-in-law calls complaining of chest pains that are either indigestion or a heart attack.

When caught in such "horse-in-the-gate" situations, we feel like a trapped animal. Often we lose it, and burst out in anger or tell self-protective lies or blame the people closest to us. In our frazzled state, our moral standards plunge like the "broken" 13-story elevator in Disneyland's Tower of Terror. You would never leave a sick child at home alone, but this time... You would never dip into the money you're holding for the charity fund, but this time... You would never refuse to help a woman in a wheelchair, but this time... You would never yell at your spouse for helping his/her mother, but this time...

When we feel trapped without any recourse, our worst self manifests. We actually become the snorting, rearing beast in the gate.

THE THIRD ALTERNATIVE

The most dramatic scene in the Torah is just such a "horse in the gate" scenario. Three days after the Children of Israel made their Exodus from slavery in Egypt, Pharaoh changed his mind and led his army after them. When Pharaoh's chariot forces caught up with the Israelite men, women, and children, they were camped beside the sea. With Pharaoh's army behind them and the sea in front of them, the people had nowhere to escape. Thinking their doom was sealed, they panicked.

Then, just at the critical moment, God intervened. He split the sea, let the Children of Israel walk through on dry land, and restored the water in time to drown the pursuing Egyptian army.

This Biblical prototype teaches us a profound lesson. At first glance, the horse in the gate scenario seems to have only two players: the invading soldier on his charging horse and the defending soldier poised to pour down his pot of boiling oil. From a Jewish perspective, however, there's always a third player: God.

In a God-directed world, there are always infinite possibilities.

Judaism believes in a God Who is intimately involved in His world. Everything is determined by the Divine Will except the moral choices that human beings make. In a Godless world, the horse and rider would be doomed to fry or smash, but in a God-directed world, there are always infinite possibilities. God could, for example, as the horse enters the gate, give the soldier holding the pot of oil a coughing fit, or he could feel a sudden urge to eliminate, or he could be felled by an invader's arrow.

In a God-directed world, you could choose to stay home with your sick child, and the V.I.P. you were supposed to meet that day could have been detained in Tokyo for 24 hours. If you overcome your temptation to dip into the charity fund, in a God-directed world you could be surprised by a check in the mail from a friend paying back an old loan. If helping the woman in the wheelchair makes you late for your job interview, you could be sitting opposite the disapproving personnel director when the interview is interrupted by a visit from his wife -- the woman in the wheelchair. In a God-directed world, there are infinite possibilities.

THE INVINCIBLE CABLE

The antidote for the panic of the horse in the gate is to repeat four simple words: "God runs the world." This does not mean relying on miracles. It does not mean abdicating responsibility. It does mean choosing to do the right thing and relying on God to take care of the rest. The recognition "God runs the world" is the invincible steel cable that keeps the elevator of our moral standard from plummeting.

Once you have chosen to do what is right and have prayed for Divine assistance, God may make things work out as you wanted or He may not. Yes, helping the woman in the wheelchair may make you late for the job interview and cause you to lose the job. But perhaps a better job is waiting for you... or perhaps this job would have posed ethical tests that you are not strong enough to pass... or perhaps this high-paying job would have taken too much time from your family...

Recognizing that God runs the world doesn't mean that we always get what we want, but rather that we get what is best for us.

When we fail to let God run our lives, we get stuck like the horse in the gate. Our possibilities are limited and our lives are constricted.

THE HOUSE OF MY DREAMS

Shortly after getting married in 1987, my husband and I moved to the Old City of Jerusalem. We rented an apartment, with the intention of buying an apartment at the end of our year's lease.

In those days, taking a mortgage in Israel meant financial suicide, because both the interest and the principal of the mortgage were tied to "the index," Israel's double-digit inflation rate. So, you could take out a $100,000 mortgage and two years later find that you owed $130,000 on the principal. We heard horror stories of people who were swallowed up by such mortgages. We resolved to buy an apartment only for the sum we had in the bank.

The problem was that all the apartments for sale in our price range were small, cramped apartments. After months of searching, I gave up. We decided to just rent for another year. Six weeks before our lease expired, simply for protocol's sake, I called the owner, who had never lived in the apartment, to make sure we could renew our lease. He informed me that he would be moving into the apartment.

Suddenly we were the horse in the gate.

Panicked, I called the real estate agent to rent another apartment in the Old City. There was nothing available.

Suddenly we were the horse in the gate. We couldn't stay in our rented apartment, and we couldn't afford to buy an apartment that was big enough for us.

Then it hit me: Why were we limiting God? God runs the world, and perhaps He had a nice, large apartment that He wanted to give us. I prayed hard, then called the real estate agent and told her: "We want to buy the apartment that God wants to give us. Just show us our apartment; it doesn't matter the price."

Our apartment, I told her, had to have a large living room where we could hold classes and Shabbatons, had to have three bedrooms, and had to be on the ground floor so that my mother and father, who suffered from arthritis, could someday live with us. I secretly wished for one of the Old City's ancient structures with domed or vaulted ceilings, but that was not a requirement.

One morning soon after, the real estate agent showed us our apartment. It had all our requirements—plus high vaulted ceilings. Its price was exactly double what we had.

My husband and I each called our fathers and asked for loans. They magnanimously gave us the money outright, as "an advance on your inheritance," they told us.

That left us $20,000 short of the asking price. We told the real estate agent to make an offer for the sum we had. "They won't take it," she told us with authority. The owners, Mr. And Mrs. Kagan, had had the apartment on the market for over a year, and were not willing to budge on the price.

"God runs the world," I reminded her (and myself). "Please phone them with our offer. Tell them it's our maximum offer. Take it or leave it."

Two days later, she got back to us, her voice filled with wonder. The Kagans had told her that their married daughter, who lived on a moshav, had just found a house she wanted to buy. They needed cash quickly to help her buy it before she missed the opportunity. They were willing to accept our offer.

Two weeks after we closed the deal, I went with Mrs. Kagan to transfer the utility bills into our name. I asked her when her daughter would be moving into her new house. Mrs. Kagan frowned and replied, "That house fell through. She's not moving after all."

A world run by God is a world of infinite possibilities. We are never stuck like the horse in the gate.

Related Articles:

About the Author

Sara Yoheved Rigler is the author of God Winked: Tales and Lessons from my Spiritual Adventures, as well as the bestsellers: Holy Woman, Lights from Jerusalem, and Battle Plans: How to Fight the Yetzer Hara(with Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller). She is a popular international lecturer on subjects of Jewish spirituality. She has given lectures and workshops in Israel, England, Switzerland, South Africa, Mexico, Chile, Canada, and over thirty American cities. A graduate of Brandeis University, after fifteen years of practicing and teaching meditation and Eastern philosophy, she discovered "the world's most hidden religion: Torah Judaism." Since 1985, she has been living as a Torah-observant Jew in the Old City of Jerusalem with her husband and two children. She presents a highly-acclaimed Marriage Workshop for women [seewww.kesherwife.com] as well as a Gratitude Workshop. To invite her to your community, please write to info@sararigler.com.

Visitor Comments: 26

Even for you, Mrs. Rigler, a most outstanding, perfectly clear, absolutely beautiful article. If I might point out one phrase I wondered at: "the most dramatic scene in the Torah"; says who?

(25)
Karmiya,
May 10, 2012 4:42 PM

Ruth H.

For the author: Thank you for the wonderful article. My family is actually in transition right now. My husband is finished with his training, and getting his first job, and we're moving to a Jewish area. I tell myself to trust in G-d constantly as we go through this process. It's an amazing process as G-d is helping us actualize our dreams. We're moving into a smaller place, but I know it will work.
Ruth,
I'm so glad you posted again. I love reading your posts, and a while back you were wondering if anyone was reading. I am. I love your thoughtful and thought-provoking mini-essays, and am glad you are participating. I don't have time to write comments, and I'm always in terribly awkward positions, physically, when I'm reading, difficult for typing.
Keep it up!!

(24)
Anonymous,
May 9, 2012 6:20 PM

great, easy-to-read article!

I usually read aish articles as a break from studying or schoolwork....although most of the article i read are quite good, i find mysefl getting antsy during some of them because of the length, or because of a long intro, and i am usually feeling rushed when i read them...this aritcle was great, enjoyable and definitely from the start, and i hope to remember the great mashal and lesson! thanks!

(23)
Tammy,
May 8, 2012 8:05 PM

Horse, gate

I appreciate this article so much. It is a good reminder of who is actually in control.

(22)
Anonymous,
May 8, 2012 4:31 PM

So beautiful!

I love this article its so beautifully written.

(21)
ruth housman,
May 8, 2012 1:35 PM

the entire show

I see the beauty in what you wrote, being about the horse at the gate, but I also see, that the even GREATER, more cosmic story, that surrounds ALL stories, has to be, that G_d wrote, not parts of the story, but the Entire Story. This is difficult to get one's head around, but I know it is true. In a world of infinite possibility, the child you are gifted, is the ONE you are meant to have, and this applies to all aspects of your miraculous life. It seems, that there are billions of swimming sperm, racing towards that egg, a true Marathon, but actually the game is fixed. We can perceive on many levels, as in the pulling of veils. I perceive, your miraculous story, was entirely scripted, from the very beginning, and to see this, is to enter a new but same kingdom. We are all deeply aspects of what is Divine and to divine this, at the deepest level is the entrance to a totally new but actually ancient perception. And entrance is also for enchantment, as in the word "entrance", another meaning, and as fairy tales are to ferry, to is this truly a trance portation story. We're all headed to the same place. The keys are in the words. Some call it, and I do, the secret language of birds.

(20)
Betty,
November 8, 2007 7:24 AM

Sara Yocheved,

Your writing means so much to me; I always learn so much, because you are so honest and clear. Please keep it up!! A lot of women out there are relying on you for inspiration and clarity.

p.s. When are you coming back to Baltimore? Your fan club is waiting.

(19)
Bonnie,
November 7, 2007 11:01 AM

The Right Focus

Thank You. This hit home. Brings me back to the right focus. Tacked a little note on the bulletin board at my desk. When I raise my eyes I see... GOD RUNS THE WORLD.

(18)
Anonymous,
November 5, 2007 2:12 AM

Brilliant article

Thank you Sara Rigler for the fabulous insites you share with us on Aish.com

(17)
Eric Jacobson,
November 4, 2007 2:17 AM

Todah Rabah.

Thank you, Sara. Thank you, the other article writers. Thank you, the many who comment and tell of your own experiences. Thank you, everyone at Aish. Thank you most of all to the Holy One of Israel, the King of the Universe, for providing His people for my comfort, assistance and joy.Reading your thoughts and feelings makes me feel like I know, at least, a little bit of all of you. Torah is a wonderful thing, and I thank HaShem for providing all of you as an example in Torah living (or reaction to non-Torah living). I needed Sara's letter, just now. Praise be to G-d! Todah Rabah.

(16)
Rox (goy),
November 2, 2007 1:34 PM

But what did you say?

Rebbetzin Rigler, I have really come to enjoy your articles. This article is especially timely as I feel like the poor horse most of the time...doomed if I do, doomed if I don't.

You wrote that "I prayed hard.." after finding out you were going to lose your apartment.

But...what did you say? How did you pray? Did you read from a Siddur? Did you bargain with G-d? Did you just throw your hands up in private and say "Baruch dayim emes"? Did you vent your frustrations or meekly accept what what happening???

I'd like to see an article about this prayer so I can learn something from it. I do not know how to pray to improve or at least, understand, my various "horse" situations.

(15)
Michal Evenari,
November 1, 2007 11:49 AM

I totally agree with you!

Dear Sara Yocheved, thank you for this article! You are right. I can not count the times I seemed to be "stuck" in the gate, very often I thought I have to put extra strength in it myself, but it always was in vain. In the end I had to realize I can not do it. No way. Often I even shed tears about it. Until I remembered Hashem, and the many ways he is able to solve our problems. Mostly He did. Baruch Hu.But sometimes my horse died, and at other times I fell down. But in the end even the falling down turned out to be a blessing. It made me get nearer to Hashem. This sentence sounds so great, but I must not explain to you, how things work. The buying of your house was wonderful (really full of wonders.) Shalom! Michal Batya

(14)
Sorah Birnbaum,
October 30, 2007 9:06 PM

You made me smile through out the whole article!

Dear Sara,

These words are true! This is the mindset I want to achieve. Thanks for such a well written, inspirational story. Your biggest fan in Teaneck!

(13)
Robert,
October 30, 2007 8:34 PM

Holocaust

So where was G-d then?

(12)
Dora Csordas,
October 30, 2007 3:22 AM

thank you

Dear Sara,

Just on a day, when I was praying for help in a trying situation, Hashem led me to read your wonderful article. It was just what I needed, thank you so much!:-)

(11)
Anonymous,
October 29, 2007 10:12 PM

To Ruth Housman:

If G-d is G-d, He's smart and capable and infinite enough to figure out the effects of every happening in our lives on each and everyone around us. If you measure G-d by the tiny dimensions of the extremely limited human mind, He's not worth worshipping.

(10)
Anonymous,
October 29, 2007 11:39 AM

I've mulling the whole day over the harm some negative person is trying to do to my family.What am I doing? Hashem runs the world and no one can harm me in any way unless I push Him out of the picture.Mrs. Riegler, Yishar koach!!!!!

(9)
Ruth,
October 29, 2007 11:38 AM

enlightening article

Thanks Sara for the reminder. Those horse at the gate situations are so sticky. Your article was very clarifying.Ruth

(8)
Andy,
October 29, 2007 8:12 AM

leap of faith seemingly required

While I can't prove that G-d does not run this world [I believe that he does]it seems to me to be a great challenge to believe it when the consequences are more serious than renting/buying an apt in a more affordable neighborhood, or remailning where one prefers. A medical decision that resulted in the death of a loved one ,A decision not to leave Europe before the nazis made it impossible,a decision to go to work early in the WTC on 9/11 etc. are examples where if G-d is in charge and therefore the outcome is "for the best" that conclusion seems to be based on extremely limited vision if not altogether blind faith.

(7)
Anonymous,
October 29, 2007 2:48 AM

thank you for the reminder

I opened your website for a LITTLE chizuk after a slightly difficult day that has extended into the wee hours of the morning. Instead I got a LOT of chizuk from Mrs. Rigler's wonderfully written reminder that G-d runs the world! I'll sign off smiling now,thanks to you!

(6)
Ruth Housman,
October 28, 2007 9:29 PM

A God Driven World

Life is paradox and it is in the embracing of the paradox that we must realize that in a God driven world all is God and therefore, at some level, our morality of choice is already "known". Otherwise this would not make logical sense. If God moves for us then those movements often must affect others who did not pray for change. So there is inherent paradox in these statements. I say, YES, this symphony HAS a conductor. On this level there is ample opportunity to learn but on another level, there is a deep determinism to our lives.

(5)
Ada Apfelbaum,
October 28, 2007 5:58 PM

I love it!

Thanks for yet another of your wonderful, uplifting articles that keeps me tuned in and inspired out here in Brazil! (And reminds me whoÂ´s the boss!)

(4)
Liora Sitelman,
October 28, 2007 4:19 PM

Thanks!

I really needed to hear this. It has given me a lot of hope and encouragement. As usual, your articles are brilliant!

May you be blessed!

(3)
Beverly Kurtin,
October 28, 2007 4:14 PM

The "Invisible" Business

Yes, Sara, God runs the world. My abusive husband hit me so hard that he gave me a whiplash. He was out of my life that night. Needing a job to replace the income he had brought in, I saw the perfect job for me and made an appointment to see the interviewer the next day. I could not find the building. I could not see the street on which it was supposed to be located. I grabbed my phone and got directions again. Still nothing was where it was supposed to be. Frustrated and angry with myself I went home.

The phone was ringing inside. I fumbled with my key and picked it up just in time. "Are you still interested in working with us?" The largest software company in the world was calling. They had seen my resume and misplaced it. They wanted ME to go to work for THEM!

The job paid thrice the starting salary of the other place I'd been trying to find. If I had seen the street and the company, I'd have missed the call.

Does God really run the world? You don't have to convince me.

Oh, I had to go to downtown Fort Worth a few days later. There was the street and there was the company! I could see them. HaShem has a great sense of humor.

(2)
Katerina Katapodi,
October 28, 2007 3:01 PM

Comments

We really sometimes think we are ''stuck'', but it's rather what we are able to perceive, concerning Present, as our brain is not infinite..What we cannot understand about future and e are sometimes in vain of giving solutions to our problems, is obviously God's will and determination of ours, what God has ''written'' as a destiny for each one of us..Although God is invisible, we can trace His wisdom in every state we are found almost every day, and it's in the future that we can interpret his Laws of Nature, Life, and History...we then discover, that we are only stuck in our mind..Vakasa-Yours Katerina/Ratko(my husband)

(1)
Anonymous,
October 28, 2007 10:44 AM

Thank you Mrs. Rigler

I always read your articles on Aish.com and they all give me so much courage and help me in so many ways. Thank you!

I just got married and have an important question: Can we eat rice on Passover? My wife grew up eating it, and I did not. Is this just a matter of family tradition?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

The Torah instructs a Jew not to eat (or even possess) chametz all seven days of Passover (Exodus 13:3). "Chametz" is defined as any of the five grains (wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye) that came into contact with water for more than 18 minutes. Chametz is a serious Torah prohibition, and for that reason we take extra protective measures on Passover to prevent any mistakes.

Hence the category of food called "kitniyot" (sometimes referred to generically as "legumes"). This includes rice, corn, soy beans, string beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, mustard, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Even though kitniyot cannot technically become chametz, Ashkenazi Jews do not eat them on Passover. Why?

Products of kitniyot often appear like chametz products. For example, it can be hard to distinguish between rice flour (kitniyot) and wheat flour (chametz). Also, chametz grains may become inadvertently mixed together with kitniyot. Therefore, to prevent confusion, all kitniyot were prohibited.

In Jewish law, there is one important distinction between chametz and kitniyot. During Passover, it is forbidden to even have chametz in one's possession (hence the custom of "selling chametz"). Whereas it is permitted to own kitniyot during Passover and even to use it - not for eating - but for things like baby powder which contains cornstarch. Similarly, someone who is sick is allowed to take medicine containing kitniyot.

What about derivatives of kitniyot - e.g. corn oil, peanut oil, etc? This is a difference of opinion. Many will use kitniyot-based oils on Passover, while others are strict and only use olive or walnut oil.

Finally, there is one product called "quinoa" (pronounced "ken-wah" or "kin-o-ah") that is permitted on Passover even for Ashkenazim. Although it resembles a grain, it is technically a grass, and was never included in the prohibition against kitniyot. It is prepared like rice and has a very high protein content. (It's excellent in "cholent" stew!) In the United States and elsewhere, mainstream kosher supervision agencies certify it "Kosher for Passover" -- look for the label.

Interestingly, the Sefardi Jewish community does not have a prohibition against kitniyot. This creates the strange situation, for example, where one family could be eating rice on Passover - when their neighbors will not. So am I going to guess here that you are Ashkenazi and your wife is Sefardi. Am I right?

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Moses ben Nachman (1194-1270), known as Nachmanides, and by the acronym of his name, Ramban. Born in Spain, he was a physician by trade, but was best-known for authoring brilliant commentaries on the Bible, Talmud, and philosophy. In 1263, King James of Spain authorized a disputation (religious debate) between Nachmanides and a Jewish convert to Christianity, Pablo Christiani. Nachmanides reluctantly agreed to take part, only after being assured by the king that he would have full freedom of expression. Nachmanides won the debate, which earned the king's respect and a prize of 300 gold coins. But this incensed the Church: Nachmanides was charged with blasphemy and he was forced to flee Spain. So at age 72, Nachmanides moved to Jerusalem. He was struck by the desolation in the Holy City -- there were so few Jews that he could not even find a minyan to pray. Nachmanides immediately set about rebuilding the Jewish community. The Ramban Synagogue stands today in Jerusalem's Old City, a living testimony to his efforts.

It's easy to be intimidated by mean people. See through their mask. Underneath is an insecure and unhappy person. They are alienated from others because they are alienated from themselves.

Have compassion for them. Not pity, not condemning, not fear, but compassion. Feel for their suffering. Identify with their core humanity. You might be able to influence them for the good. You might not. Either way your compassion frees you from their destructiveness. And if you would like to help them change, compassion gives you a chance to succeed.

It is the nature of a person to be influenced by his fellows and comrades (Rambam, Hil. De'os 6:1).

We can never escape the influence of our environment. Our life-style impacts upon us and, as if by osmosis, penetrates our skin and becomes part of us.

Our environment today is thoroughly computerized. Computer intelligence is no longer a science-fiction fantasy, but an everyday occurrence. Some computers can even carry out complete interviews. The computer asks questions, receives answers, interprets these answers, and uses its newly acquired information to ask new questions.

Still, while computers may be able to think, they cannot feel. The uniqueness of human beings is therefore no longer in their intellect, but in their emotions.

We must be extremely careful not to allow ourselves to become human computers that are devoid of feelings. Our culture is in danger of losing this essential aspect of humanity, remaining only with intellect. Because we communicate so much with unfeeling computers, we are in danger of becoming disconnected from our own feelings and oblivious to the feelings of others.

As we check in at our jobs, and the computer on our desk greets us with, "Good morning, Mr. Smith. Today is Wednesday, and here is the agenda for today," let us remember that this machine may indeed be brilliant, but it cannot laugh or cry. It cannot be happy if we succeed, or sad if we fail.

Today I shall...

try to remain a human being in every way - by keeping in touch with my own feelings and being sensitive to the feelings of others.

With stories and insights,
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